One year ago we finished the 30 MLB Games in 30 days road trip. There are a lifetime of memories from that month on the road. I could fill a library and still leave things out. Instead of the full catalog, below are some memories from each of the 30 games. The memories are not all from the games, some happened before or after the games. 

Game #1- St. Louis Cardinals

After the game was over we began walking down the walkway to exit the stadium from our cheap seats. We were not in a hurry, our hotel was just across the Mississippi River. Traffic however would make the 10 mile drive take over two hours. As we walked the stadium paramedics came by on their cart. As they turned around the switch back one of the paramedics dropped their adult beverage. It went everywhere. Good to know the paramedics were going to be hung over in the morning. 

Game #2- Cincinnati Reds

The Reds were in the process of blowing a lead against the Brewers. The Cincinnati faithful were occupying themselves with the Wave. The man behind us began complaining, telling his wife, and anyone else within earshot, that the Reds were blowing the lead because the fans were doing the Wave. It was a curse. They needed to stop or the Reds would lose. His wife told him the Wave was fine. He continued his diatribe. Finally she had had enough and told him if he continued they were going home. He stopped, but about three minutes and a few more Milwaukee hits later, he could take no more. The rant resumed. True to her word, his wife made him leave. True to his word the Reds blew the lead and lost the game. 

Game #3- Philadelphia Phillies

The first real test of the road trip was the drive from Cincinnati to Philadelphia. The nine hour drive for the Sunday day game meant driving several hours before the sun came up. Getting out of bed and on the road when three was the first number on the clock was a critical moment. Were we serious about this? After hours in the darkness across Ohio, we were greeted by fog in Pennsylvania. Once the fog finally lifted, the City of Brotherly Love gave us a traffic jam. Our energy was not impacted by the early start. It was the beginning of a month with little sleep because of baseball.

Game #4- Washington Nationals

The Nationals absolutely destroyed the Marlins. The game was over long before the final out. Through the powers of the internet we joined some of the original Nationals season ticket holders in their seats. We were quickly taught the chant they led every time Washington scored. 

N-A-T-S NATS NATS NATS WOOO!!!!

Nothing better than a good natured chant when the crowd is into the game. However, the difficulty came from Washington winning 18-1. After a while, all the chanting makes even the biggest baseball fan tired. Totally worth it though. 

Game #5- Atlanta Braves

We stayed with my parents and went to the game with Jesse, John, and my college roommates. The game between the Braves and Padres was nothing spectacular. Freddie Freeman hit a monster home run to seal the game for Atlanta. A home cooked meal and familiar surroundings were great, even just five days into the trip. 

Game #6- Tampa Bay Rays

One of my goals for the trip was to get into America’s four major bodies of water: the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes. The Gulf of Mexico was up first. After the noon game, which turned out to be kids summer camp day, I found a park on the drive to Miami for a quick dip. This was Kevin’s first trip to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. We walked across the burning sand and into the water. As expected it was like bath water. This was a shock to Kevin. He grew up in New York and lived in California, so to him ocean water is cold. The primal, soul crushing noise he let out still makes me laugh a year later. 

Game #7- Miami Marlins

Kevin wanted Cuban food in Miami. We went to El Rey de las Fritas. Whenever I travel, eating local food is an important part of the journey. Walking in, it was quickly clear we were the only non native Spanish speakers in the restaurant. After trying, and butchering, our order in Spanish we were served the best meal I have had in a long time. Everything was delicious. Our Spanish was terrible, but we tried. Lots of smiling, pointing, and broken Spanish goes a long way. 

Game #8- Houston Astros

Miami to Houston is a long drive. We called and told the hotel valet in Miami to get the car at 2 AM. He didn’t believe us. When we got downstairs he took his sweet time getting Donkey, our rental car, costing us a half an hour. Making it to Houston meant we stopped only for gas. Hour after hour of driving before finally reaching the Florida-Alabama line, where Kevin declared he would never return to the Sunshine State. We were on track to reach Houston in time, but hit traffic within sight of the Houston skyline. 1,200 miles and we missed first pitch because of a slow, mandatory valet and Houston traffic. We tried. 

Game #9- Kansas City Royals

Driving through Oklahoma we saw field after field of cows. It was lunchtime so a hamburger was the obvious choice. We stopped at a local chain and ordered two sack fulls, five burgers per bag. Five regular hamburgers and five cheese burgers. It was some of the worst food of our lives. The bread was stale and the meat was crunchy. Yes, crunchy. They were so bad we only managed to choke down four of the ten burgers. They were horrific, which made no sense after driving by so many cows. 

Game #10- Minnesota Twins

No Mike Trout. Injuries kept us from seeing the multi-time MVP, so we had to settle for Shohei Ohtani. While he was not pitching, we did get to see him demolish a baseball, sending it on a line over the high wall in Right Field. Even from our seats in the upper deck, the demolition was jaw dropping. It is one thing to see a special player on TV, it is another to see them in person. 

Game #11- Chicago Cubs

Sitting in the Bleachers at Wrigley is a must. Much like sitting near the Bleacher Creatures at old Yankee Stadium, it gives you a feel for how the die hard fans live and die. The Cubs won on a walk off Single by Javier Baez. He taunted Amir Garrett as he strolled to First Base. Wrigley erupted as the Friendly Confines began another rendition of Go Cubs Go. Kevin’s hatred for in-stadium sing alongs softened a touch with Go Cubs Go. However the song length quickly returned things to normal. Walk off wins are the best.

Game #12- Cleveland Indians

The opportunity to do the 30 in 30 was not without hesitation, specifically missing out on time with my daughter. 30 days is a long time in the life of a child. Fortunately my wife was willing to meet us as we drove from Chicago to Cleveland for a few hours of fun at the playground plus ice cream. This meetup simultaneously reinvigorated and hurt me as once again I left because of baseball. Pushing a swing, sliding down a slide, and sharing an ice cream are the best things in life. 

Game #13- Baltimore Orioles

Camden Yards is one of the most beautiful ballparks in baseball. Unfortunately we went on a week night to watch the Orioles play the Marlins. Both teams were bad. The incredibly small crowd meant the ballpark lacked the energy so many have described in Baltimore. The announced crowd was a lie, there could not have been more than 2,000 people at the game. You could hear the players and umpires talking. The lackluster crowd necessitates a return trip to Baltimore for another Orioles game to experience the real Camden Yards. 

Game #14- Boston Red Sox

Fenway Park is a special place to watch a baseball game. However the game we saw between the Red Sox and Blue Jays was anything but special. Toronto brutalized Boston as a light rain fell for most of the game. The crowd was quickly taken out of the game. The nail in the Red Sox’s coffin was a monster Home Run by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The ball seemed to be rising as it soared over the Green Monster and into the Boston night. It remains one of the hardest hit baseballs I have ever seen. 

Game #15- Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh and PNC Park was the very first baseball road trip Kevin, Bernie, and I did together. The ballpark is aging, but remains one of the most beautiful in all of baseball. After missing out on the Pirates Hawaiian Shirt giveaway we walked to our seats. It was crowded, as the Pirates were hosting the Phillies. We kept walking past insanely long concession lines. The Pirates had not anticipated the crowd and the lack of workers created hours long lines. We moved from the crowded cheap seats behind home plate to the Left Field corner. Several guys near our new seats went to get beer for themselves and girlfriends in the Third Inning. They returned in the Seventh empty handed. They had waited in line the entire time only to miss out as beer sales ended before reaching the front of the line. I felt bad for the workers. 

Game #16- New York Mets

Citi Field is one of my favorites. Did the Mets build a second stadium under LaGuardia’s flight path? Yes, but they built a cathedral. Kevin and I met in graduate school in New Jersey and spent years around New York. A trip back to the city was a relief. It was a trip down memory lane, plus we were able to meet up with friends. New people to talk to and share stories with. Two days back in familiar territory and without driving was invigorating. 

Game #17- New York Yankees

The real MVP of the Yankees was not Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, or anyone wearing pinstripes. It was a cat. A cat on the field to be exact. Kevin’s curse on his beloved Yankees continues, as they lose every time he goes to a game when they play the Orioles. The game was dragging when suddenly our hero appeared. Running away from security like every streaker’s dreams. The cat bolted under and around security, up the outfield wall, and everywhere in between. The thunderous chants of “MVP, MVP, MVP” for our hero quickly turned to boos as security ushered the cat off the field. The cat was the real MVP as the Bronx Bombers lost again. 

Game #18- Detroit Tigers

Drinking a beer at a baseball game is a great way to enjoy America’s Pastime. Drinking several is expensive and can cause your mouth to run faster than your brain. A perfect example occurred in Detroit. Sitting behind the bullpens beyond the Leftfield wall we could enjoy the game and appreciate the pitching abilities of the relievers. A fellow fan clearly had too many and began heckling Boston’s Alex Verdugo. Nothing dirty or inappropriate. Then he went after Joe Jimenez as he warmed up because he was too drunk to realize Jimenez is a Tiger. His buddies finally took him home after he yelled, “Verdugo, you’ve got the butt of a teenage boy.” Sometimes even drunk frat guys know when to call it a night. 

Game #19- Milwaukee Brewers

Miller Park, it will forever be Miller Park to me, feels like watching a baseball game in a greenhouse. The roof was open, but not the windows. It was not a particularly hot day, but do not tell this to the locals. The locals constantly complained about the heat as they cooked in the sun, it was in the mid 80s. They also complained about the walk up music. Casual racism about Dominican players walking to bat to Spanish music. “This music sucks. You know who would be better? Led Zeppelin”. Players can walk up to anything they want while you pay to see them play.

Game #20- Chicago White Sox

In Boston Kevin and I had stopped in an Irish Pub to grab food before the game. We were the only two people not in suits, with several people in tuxedos and formalwear. Fastford to Chicago. Kevin, Bernie, and I go to a place called The Game Room. We made an assumption based on the name. We were wrong. Kevin and I again found ourselves wildly underdressed and surrounded by suits in a classy place with a less than classy name. We all have special skills. 

Game #21- Colorado Rockies

Those poor Marlins. We once again watched their dismantling, this time by the Rockies. The only real highlight was once again watching Miami’s best pitcher take the mound. Sandy Leon, the backup catcher who had saved the bullpen by pitching in the blow out in Washington, came on to save the bullpen again. We watched the same position player pitch twice. 

Game #22- Los Angeles Dodgers

There was a landslide on Interstate 70 west of Denver. Routing around the landslide on another Interstate would have added hours. Hours we did not have to reach Dodger Stadium from Denver on time. We decided the fastest route was to take the detour through the back mountain roads of Colorado. We had to drive it immediately after the game because the time crunch did not allow for sleep and then drive in the daylight. I drove first. Bernie was supposed to stay awake with me. It was Kevin’s turn to sleep. A late night and ridiculously early morning start in Chicago meant Bernie soon fell asleep. I told Kevin I would wake him when I started the detour. I forget as I drove the darkest roads of my life. It was a New Moon with no street lights or paint on the road. Nothing but rock on one side and a black void on the other. Kevin eventually woke up and screamed “SLOW THE F#%* DOWN”. I was driving 12 MPH. Kevin could not go back to sleep after his mild heart attack. 

Game #23- Oakland Athletics

After a ground out to end the Top of the First, Matt Olson tossed the ball to Matt Chapman who showed off his throwing arm. I was watching the game while Bernie focused on his lunch and Kevin his phone. I saw the ball leave Chapman’s hand and I knew it was destined for the upper deck. We were the only one’s around. The ball was heading to our left and I immediately took off after it. I sprinted for the baseball as it came to rest in the next section over. I grabbed it and hoisted it high above my head, celebrating like a little kid. Finally, after a lifetime and a summer dedicated to baseball, I finally had the holy grail, a game used baseball direct from the field of play.

Game #24- San Diego Padres

Petco Park is constantly named as one of the most beautiful ballparks in baseball. It is hard to argue against its beauty, but it would have taken a Perfect Game for Kevin to care. The Yankees were trying to implode and it was killing him. Instead of savoring one last game with our Marlins he sat watching the Yankees bullpen blow lead after lead on his phone. I captured the moment with a picture, which is one of my favorites of the entire trip. 

Game #25- Toronto Blue Jays

The simplest of things make for the best memories. The Blue Jays and Angels were playing a Doubleheader and we did not have tickets to the first game. This required a trip to the Box Office where we received the only physical tickets of the trip. I did not expect a physical ticket, but the simple ticket brought a smile to my face. 

Game #26- Los Angeles Angels

The Baseball gods smiled upon us. We were meant to see the Blue Jays play in Buffalo on July 30th. However, while driving to Game 2 in Cincinnati, the Blue Jays announced their return to Toronto on…July 30th. The border was not open to American tourists until the middle of August. There was no way to see the Blue Jays play in Toronto. A global pandemic is why we did not see all 30 stadiums on this trip. However the baseball gods did rain out a Blue Jays vs Angels game in Dunedin earlier in the season. That game was made up on the day we were in Anaheim, August 10th. The teams took turns being the home team, thus we saw all 30 MLB teams as the home team during the trip. Close enough.

Game #27- Seattle Mariners

The people in front of us showed up wearing Mariners jerseys of players who had failed PED tests. One of them failed worse than his Robinson Cano jersey. Vape Bro decided to start puffing away in his seat and the usher quickly shut him down. Vape Bro started again and received both a no nonsense tongue lashing and an official written warning on a piece of red paper. Vape Bro was not happy with this reprimand. Fast forward about two hours and Vape Bro returns to his seat complaining. He apparently dropped his $100 vape on the stairs and it fell behind a fence. He asked the same usher from earlier to retrieve it for him. The usher said no. Vape Bro was despondent as we tried to not laugh in his face. 

 

Game #28- San Francisco Giants

Kevin found one sing along he enjoyed. In San Francisco during a pitching change they played Party in the USA. The entire ballpark exploded into song. It was one of the most entertaining moments of the trip. Singing, dancing, happiness all around. We looked it up later that night, wondering if this was the West Coast version of Sweet Caroline. It is not. It seems to have been a completely random dance party, which only makes it better.

Game #29- Arizona Diamondbacks

After the Diamondbacks hit the final walk off of the road trip we began our overnight drive to Texas. Arizona was having Friday night fireworks, which kept most of the other fans in their seats, allowing us to make a quick get away. Almost as soon as we pulled out of the parking deck it began raining. A rainstorm in the desert, just as we expected. However as we drove east it began raining harder and harder. It was some of the hardest rain I can remember. The downpour continued uninterrupted from Phoenix to El Paso, where we met the rising run.

Game #30- Texas Rangers

We reached the metroplex of Dallas and Fort Worth a few hours before the 30th game began. Kevin and Bernie wanted to go to the hotel to rest, I knew if I did there was a very real possibility I would pass out. So I dropped myself off at the ballpark and walked around for a while. Jesse had set it up for me to get into the ballpark early through his connections with Rangers pitcher Brett Martin. While I waited I decided to grab something to eat. I was texting back and forth with Jesse when he asked what gate I was near. I sent him a selfie from the restaurant. A few moments later I hear, “Hey buddy!”. I look up and it is Jesse, John, and Jason. They flew in to surprise us for the final game. I had absolutely no idea they were coming. I was speechless. It was awesome. I am so glad I did not go to rest at the hotel. We did not get into the ballpark early due to the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but the surprise was even better. Kevin and Bernie got their own surprise when they showed up. 

Baseball and travel create memories. It took a year to plan the 30 in 30 road trip. Was it always easy? No. Were there moments when I questioned what we were doing? Yes. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. 

DJ